Flue-working tool.



v. MOORE.

ILUE WORKING TOOL.

PPLIOAT ION FILED DBO.

Patented May 21, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

V. MOORE.

FLUB WORKING TOOL.

I APPLICATION FILED D30. 8. 1910. 1,02 ,993, Patented May 21, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

combination, and arrangement of VINSON MOORE, 0F BRINKLEY, ARKANSAS.

IELUE-WORKING TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 8, 1910.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Serial No. 596,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINSON Moonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brinkley, in the county of Monroe, State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue JVorking Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in flue-expanders and more particularly to a device of this kind adapted for repair work and my object is to provide a combined expander and beading tool of simple and durable construction.

A further object is to increase the contact area of expander segments and to change the slope of the expanding wedge so that the tool may be used more effectively to repair leaky fiues which have been previously given approximately the proper form.

A still further object is to provide a means for rotating the tool while it is being driven, and it is also to be understood that a primary obj eet which governs to some extent every other consideration is to accomplish these results by means of a construction which will be as simple and inexpensive as is possible, consistent with efficiency and durability.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the construction, parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

In these drawingsFigure 1 is a sectional T"i view of the device in operative position in the flue of a boiler. Fig. 2 is a side eleva tion of the tool removed from the flue, and;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof.

Referring specifically to these views, 1

designates the tube sheet of a boiler in which is expanded the fire tube or flue 2. The ex act method in which this expanding is done 'is not material to the invention but I have 'Iheoretieally, the tube is supposed to form a gas-tight fit with the edges of the plate but it is found in practice that the bead 4 and the annular in-struck ring 3 must be relied upon to make the joint perfect. Under the constant expansion and contraction of service, the joint becomes imperfect at these points and there is therefore need of touching up or re-expanding at regular intervals. It is for this purpose, that the tool described herein, is primarily intended. Two segments of tool steel 6 are so shaped that when placed together they form an eliptical cylinder. Adjacent one end of this cylinder is turned a groove 7 and adjacent the other end a similar groove 7 which grooves serve to retain in place resilient bands 8 the function of which is apparent.

That portion of the cylinder or expander body adjacent the groove 7 is tapered as at 9, the tapered portion ending in a shoulder 10. Adjacent this shoulder 10 is the expander surface proper designated by 11 which slopes off into the large body portion 6 fromopposite sides of which a pair of lugs 12 extend outwardly to form the beading curve 13.

The contacting surfaces of the body members are cut away so as to provide a diamond shaped opening 14, one end of which terminates in a cylindrical bore 15. Introduced through this bore is the wedge member 16 having a pointed end 17, the surfaces of which co-act with the sloping sides of the opening 14. The stem of the wedge member is provided with a ratchet gear 18 with which engages a pawl 19 carried in a hand lever 20. A medium grade tool steel will be found best for the construction of the whole instrument.

From the above description it is believed that the mode of operation of the tool will be clear to anyone skilled in the art, but for the purpose of bringing out more strongly the advantages of the device, its operation will now be described.

When a tube joint begins to leak, it will be found in most cases that the difliculty is with either the head or the inner ring or both. In such a case the tool will be entered into the opening of the tube and in alinement therewith until the lugs 12 hook over the edge of the head. The end of the wedge 16 is then struck with a sledge, or in the best practice an air hammer is applied to it. The angle of the wedge faces is in the present instance about 45 degrees, from which it will be seen that approximately half of the force of the blow will be converted into an expansive effort tending to spread the tube. The shoulder 10 will thus be forced out and will perfect the joint between the annular extension 3 and the shim 5. At the same time the beading portion 13 will bear upon the top of the bead and the axial component of the hammer blow will repair the joint at this point.

From the large included angle of the wedge it will be evident that the expander is not meant to grip the sides of the tube as is common with the roller and taper-pin types. Each blow of the hammer comes as a new impact on the tube, and after each blow the wedge rebounds sufliciently to free the expander from the tube. By means of the lever the expander will be rotated between strokes of the hammer until every portion of the tube has been worked over. The expander body proper has purposely been made with exceptionally large contact faces 11, so that there will be no danger of splitting the tube or bending it out of shape from excessive expansion while the bead and ring are being worked into proper shape.

What I claim is;

--In a flue expander, the combination with a stem having a wedge shaped head thereon, of a body made of a split cylinder el- 'liptical in section transversely and adapted to inclose said head and having inner faces adapted to co-act with the faces of the wedge, said body being provided with an annular expansion shoulder intermediate its length, and a pair of oppositely disposed lugs extending outwardly over said extension from the prolate side portions of said body.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses. VINSON MOORE, -Witnesses JOHN GAZZOLA, CLYDE MITCHELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

